Signal apparatus.



R. B. CARTER. SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1913.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

INVENTOR. R040!) .5. Uarlzzr WITNESSES.-

RALPH B. (iAB'IEB, OF BLOOMINGTON, IND

TANA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF '10 THEODORE J. ILOIJ'IIIEJN, OI BLOOHINGTON,

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed June 7, 1913. Serial No. 772,266.

Be it known that I, RALPH B. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomington, county of Monroe, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Signal Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The chief object of this invention is to simplify and cheapen vastly the installation and operation of signal apparatus, such as fire alarms and burglar alarms, as compared with the present burglar alarm systems, fire alarm systems and the like.

The chief feature of the invention consists in utilizing a telephone system with which a subscriber is connected for signal purposes other than telephones, the various signals being different so that the operator at the central station can readily distinguish them. Thus a burglar alarm and a fire alarm in the building may be connected with the telephone circuit running into such building so that they may be operated in connection with the central telephone station and battery, and without installing additional battery. In this connection not only the telephone line, but the central station and battery are employed. Thus when a fire occurs, the fire alarm apparatus connected with the telephone circuit will give the signal to the operator at the central station of the telephone. The same thing is true of the burglar alarm apparatus. The

burglar and fire alarm apparatus are lo-- cated in the telephone circuit and leave the circuit normally open so that they will not interfere with the use of the telephone at any time at least when they are not operating. Such an arrangement of fire alarm or burglar alarm for abuilding can be very cheaply installed because it renders needless the stablishment of additional connections between a central station and the alarm apparatus or adding other .battery. For a very small sum of money a fire alarm INDIANA.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

1,171,770. Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

be placed a room and connected with the telephone line. The same thing is true of the burglar alarm. Therefore, this inventlon w1l-l render it possible for people living in the country and in small towns to have a firm alarm apparatus at nominal expense within the reach of all. It also would provide burglar alarm equipments in cities at much less than the cost of the systems now in use. When once installed, the apparatus needs no attention from the subscriber.

,The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawlugs and the following description and claims: Y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of atelephone circuit and an alarm apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a thermostat for a fire alarm apparatus. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the clock anywhere in the burglar alarm apparatus, part of the face being broken away. Fig. 4 is' a section on they line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view 'of the insulating strips in the wheel of the clock.

In detail there is shown herein a central telephone station 10 from which the usual telephone circuit extends consisting of the wires 11 and 12, equipped with a battery 50. On'this line there is a telephone 13 which bridges or closes the circuit when the telephone is in use, but when the telephone 1s not in use, the circuit is open. Beyond the telephone there is a burglar alarm apparatus adapted also to brid e or close the circuit when the switch 15 1s closed by a burglar 'or otherwise, but it normally leavesthe circuit open. Beyond the burglar alarm there is a 'fire alarm apparatus 16 adapted to bridge and close the circuit when fire occurs, but which leaves the circuit normally open.

The telephonefhas a light signal 17 at central, the burglar alarm has a slowly repeating' signal 18 and the fire alarm has a rapid signal. 19, which signals are clearly different 'in character and distinguishable by the operator at the central station. Thus the fire signal 19 vibrates much more rapidly than the signal 18, and these signals may be otherwise varied so long as they may be clearly distinguishable by ear or eyes of the operator at the central station, so that shewill know whetheri there'isn telephone call or a fire or aburglar alarm.

Going further into the details of construction ofthe apparatus in order to explain the nature thereof and enable others skilled in the art to construct the same, the fire alarm apparatus 16 contains athermostatic device in the form of a thermometer 20 having therein 'asfloa't 21 carrying a downwardly turned wire or arm 22 with a projection 23 thereon fite'n'dihg outward in position to, engage either the terminal 24 r 25. 'Atvire'26 runs 'nomtermmal 2 1.

to the rapidsignal 19 which is Cdliiitd with "the wire 11 of the telephone circuit. Theterminal'25 i connected b wire 125 with a s'lo'wersignal 1'19 which is also "connected 'with wire 11. The wire 12 r the lc'lr'cuit is'connected with the bulb of the thermometer. When the heat 'be'co'mes ex- 'cessive, the fluid in the thermometer jexpandsand causes the him 23 oh'tlie wire 22 toengag'e the terminal 24"a'nd close-the circuit and give the fire signal at the'cntral station. Low temperature will cause the projection '23'to' engage terminal 125' and the slowersi' 'gnal 'I19-and give warning at '-the central station.

"In the burglar alarm apparatus, the sjwith 15ma' be made 1 1 an form emloyed'in burglar alarm systemsso as to'be closed' by theburglar and is connected with the'telephone'ci'rcuit through lines 114, 14 she-"3 1 and-130, 230 and 35. The'signal apparatus 18 includes a magnet connected with'the circuit and has a pendulum or swinging armature 30 normally out of con-- tact with the core of the magnet, but adapted tobe attracted when the'magnet is ener- 'gi'zed, but the pendulum arrangement of the pare-scene its size andwei'ght prevent'its rapid'inovement'so that it gives a very slow repeating al distinguishable from the ether signals 'eni loyed.

. Thebur'glar" larm apparatus is preferably cut outfrom the telephone circuit duriil'g the daytime. 'This'may be done by a Han operated switch 31 for closing the termin 1e39, and 3,3, but it is preferablethat such-be automatic because 1f the burglar alarmffapparatus be connected, say, with the front doorof the oflice of establishment, the proprietors or employees could not enter witout'opeiatingthe burglar alarm. In order to revent this result, a clock inechav nism is ""ployed which cuts'outthdb'urnrlnnnapearnus in't'he morning before t e 'timeFEor beginning work, To: that end a lock 40 is shown having a wheel 41 which is drivell by the clock through a shaft The wheel 41 is connected with the telephone circuit by the wire 14 and brush 36. A se mental shaped block of insulating materia 44 is secured in the face of thewheel 41 and another segmental block 45 fits in anennular groove 46 of said "wheel and. has secured to it a finger 47 which projects through the face of the clock so that a person canadjust the position of the block 45 on the Wheel 44 in relation to the block 44. A brush 48 engages the blocks 44 and 45 on the-face of the wheel 41 as it revolves and closes the circuit when it engages the wheel 41 --through the wire 114. The brush 48 fits over the upper end of the shaft 42 and "is insulated therefrom by an insulation 49. The wheel 41 is a twenty-fourhour wheel and during 'the major portion of its revolution the brush "48 '1's in engagement with the metallic portion of the 'Wheel and, therefore, 'cl'lts the burglar alarm apparatus intothe'telephone' circuit.- his is the time between closing and beginning business. 'Duringwerking hours the burglar alarm is not 'incontact with the wheel'4l,but is contact with. the blocks "44 and 45. The length of time during which the burglar alarm apparatus is cut out of the circuit 1s redetermined'byfthe adjustment of the in:- siil'ating block 45 which can be done through the movement of the finger 47 The low temperature signal referred to herein informs the operator at the central station of the condition of the temperature in'the places where the'thermometeris lo- 'cated and is useful in connectionwith' buildingsand plants f Where it is desired to safeguard against a low" temperature.

The invention-i I '1 Apparatus'of the 'kind described includinga telephone circuit and a central telephone 'exeh'ange station, battery and subscriberS'teIephOne connected therewith,,

fire alarm apparatus connected with said circuit, burglar alarm apparatus connected with said circuit, said te ephone, fire alarm apparatus and burglar alarm'apparatus in-- cluding'meansto open the circuit when not inuseand to close it when operated, and each also includin -a signaling means, a signal operable by t e telephone and by each alarm signaling means,' the signaling means in"connection'with the burglar alarm apps-- ratus'repeatingmore slowly than the'fire alarm'signalin m'eans, said circuit control ling and si'gna? mg meansof each alarm apparatus being serially included in independent' bridges of the telephone circuit.

'2. Apparatus of the kind described including a telephone circuit and a central 'station, battery and telephone connected therewith which opensthe circuit when not in'use a thermometer connected'with one 'itle ef the time, a plurality of distinguishable'signalsconnecte'd with the other side of the circuit and having independent terfixed my signature in the presence of the minals, arid means controlled fby tcllle therwitnesses herein named. mometer or engagin one 0 sai terminals when the tempergture is high and for RALPH 5 engaging the other terminal when the tem- Witnesses:

perature is low. J. H. WEILS,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto af- 0. M. MCLAUGHLIN. 

